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The outdoor food festival known as Taste of Chicago debuted July 4, 1980, on Michigan Avenue in Chicago. The following year, it moved to Grant Park, which has remained its home ever since. In its current format, the Taste spans five days, attracts about 3 million visitors and serves more than 200 menu items. Entrance is free, restaurants set up stands to sell food through a ticket system, and concerts and family activities add to the fun. Taste of Chicago is the world’s largest food festival.

Related "Taste of Chicago" Articles

Here's a look at this year's planned events and commemorations of interest to Chicagoans, to be held here and elsewhere:Jan. 1 — New Year's DayJan. 1 — Illinois' personal income tax rate drops from 5 percent to 3.75 percent.Jan. 12...

As anyone who watched her before, during and after her four tumultuous years as mayor of the city of Chicago would know, Jane Byrne was great theater: unpredictable, comic, dramatic.
But behind that show, she also displayed a deep appreciation for the...

The dates are in for next year’s round of city-sponsored festivals and civic gatherings. Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events has announced several events, including:
Creative Summit and Expo, location to be announced:...

Chicago’s arts and festivals chief on Wednesday defended last summer’s money-losing Taste of Chicago festival along with the first-time Great Chicago Fire Festival that culminated in a flame-out that disappointed tens of thousands of spectators lining the...

The rain-shortened Taste of Chicago lost $169,404 this year, the city announced Friday.The food festival had to be closed on its only scheduled Saturday in July because of heavy rains and standing water, and just 1.1 million people walked through the...

With Metra riders facing a 68 percent fare increase over the next 10 years, some of them are raising a common complaint — too many passengers are getting a free ride, because conductors either don't or can't check everyone's tickets.
That's often the...

Most family friendly and affordable festival in Chicagoland
MELROSE PARK, Ill. - Like clockwork, people from across Chicagoland will descend on Melrose Park over Labor Day weekend for one of the region's most well known, family-friendly food fests, The...

The thousands making their way downtown for this morning’s World Cup viewing party in Grant Park are being asked to make it an alcohol-free event.Metra has banning alcohol from all its trains, and organizers are prohibiting it from the event. Beer was...

Jeff Tweedy, Janelle Monae, Aloe Blacc, Nickel Creek and Emmylou Harris will be among the headliners at Taste of Chicago July 9-13.
Tickets for reserved seats at the Petrillo Music Shell are to go on sale May 22 at tasteofchicago.us. Mayor Rahm Emanuel...

All private employers in Chicago would be required to provide paid sick days to their workers under a new proposal backed by a majority of the city’s 50 aldermen.
If the proposal sponsored by Aldermen Proco “Joe” Moreno, 1st and Toni Foulkes, 15th,...

Well, we knew Dominick's wasn't coming back. But plenty of other restaurants and food trucks are gearing up to participate in Taste of Chicago, July 9-13 in Grant Park.
City officials Wednesday announced the names of 66 participating food vendors, a...

Tickets are on sale for concert seating and fancy meals at this summer's Taste of Chicago, and as in years past Mayor Rahm Emanuel's move to make some money for the city on Chicago's long-free midsummer extravaganza also will benefit a private ticket...

The sun shone bright and hot over Taste of Chicago on its final day Sunday as vendors hoped to rebound from a rare closure of the festival earlier in the weekend.
There were few signs of the puddles and stagnant water that had forced the festival to shut...

Oh, come on, you remember Taste of Chicago in its heyday: masses of humanity jammed together, sweat-soaked torsos glistening with corn on the cob butter and turkey leg fat. Yeah, there were tunes, but who really went to Taste for the music?
Today,...

Navy Pier filled to capacity more than two hours before the scheduled start of fireworks there, officials said.
Anyone who's already on the pier can stay to view the fireworks, but if they leave, they won't be let back on, according to a release from the...

When the shrieks of politicians become unbearable — think cats gnawing upon the heads of gentle woodland creatures — I can still show you refuge.
A place where fellow Chicagoans and even gullible tourists from exotic lands like Canada can enjoy the...

I drew the Taste of Chicago assignment Thursday evening. It's one that I think I've gotten all five of my years here but that hardly puts me in the minority. The Grant Park event is so large and well attended we have quite a few photographers assigned...

A storm system that moved through northeast Illinois early Saturday morning dropped heavy rain, closing down Taste of Chicago for the day and flooding communities in the area's south and southwest suburbs. More rain is on the way tonight.
Because of...

A Taste of Chicago preview -- a Taste of Taste, if you will -- will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday at Daley Plaza (50 W. Washington St.)
Eight food purveyors, among them the Bridgeport Pasty food truck, will set up in the plaza and sell...